"Atheism is a crutch for those who cannot bear the reality of God."
-Tom Stoppard
The Gospel of Charlemagne
9 years ago
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Friday, December 19, 2008
"How much do you have to hate somebody not to proselytize"?
Avowed atheist Penn Gillette (from Penn and Teller) shares a few thoughts on witnessing. "How much do you have to hate somebody not to proselytize"?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7JHS8adO3hM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7JHS8adO3hM
Sunday, December 14, 2008
True or False:
"Signs will follow those who believe: In [the name of Jesus], they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover."
Monday, December 8, 2008
Challenge:
What in your faith and religions beliefs are you absolutely dogmatic about?
Prove it in scripture.
Prove it in scripture.
Saturday, December 6, 2008
Look at this
In Gen 3, the Lord tells Satan that His seed and Satan's seed will make war. It is interesting to read through the old testament looking at this theme. Isaac and Ishmael are the prefect example of this. Read below and see how Satan comes in and steals the Lord's blessing on Ishmael (even though he was not the son of promise, the Lord said He would bless him.)
"(Gen 16: 1- NOW SARAI, Abram's wife, had borne him no children. She had an Egyptian maid whose name was Hagar) as well as Ishmael's wife being Egyptian. The Egyptian sun god Ra was named after the protector of Hagar, Ra El. Gebal points toward Lebanon. And of course Assyria is the area now called Syria. "
Notice the war. Satan is coming right in to steal, kill and destroy. This is another defining moment where Satan makes a move and begins to reveal his plans and system. My husband says over and over, the old testament is a physical picture of the spiritual kingdom revealed in the new testament. As I grow in the Spirit, He is showing us that in the old testament He delivered the Israelites, His people, out of Egypt. This was His greatest act of deliverance. When Jesus came in the new Testament, he brought new wine skins and the kingdom became spiritual. So what is the spiritual picture of deliverance look like as God delivers us from Babylon, Assyria, EGYPT ?
If you don't get the cursed priesthood, don't read any further this will seem like blasphemy... but if you do, look at this:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=JKG59NUdn8A&feature=related
The obelisk is an interesting object. According to our research, it originates from Nimrod. It is phallic and represents un-circumcision. In the masonic orders, it also represents man's ascension to heaven by good works. You will find many obelisks on your neighborhood churches in the form of steeples.
Also, we watched a very good video by Ken Klein. He hypothesizes that the masons and other related organizations are the current manifestation of Satan's system or mystery Babylon. So check this out and see what the Spirit would show you:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9LEljS3ib84&feature=related
If this is true, then you can see how Satan could cause all to follow the system, the beast, because the system is huge.
It is cool when you see these two systems and realize that the living body of Christ, His real church, is called "out, out". We are called out of the world's system and out of the church system.
hmmmm.......
"(Gen 16: 1- NOW SARAI, Abram's wife, had borne him no children. She had an Egyptian maid whose name was Hagar) as well as Ishmael's wife being Egyptian. The Egyptian sun god Ra was named after the protector of Hagar, Ra El. Gebal points toward Lebanon. And of course Assyria is the area now called Syria. "
Notice the war. Satan is coming right in to steal, kill and destroy. This is another defining moment where Satan makes a move and begins to reveal his plans and system. My husband says over and over, the old testament is a physical picture of the spiritual kingdom revealed in the new testament. As I grow in the Spirit, He is showing us that in the old testament He delivered the Israelites, His people, out of Egypt. This was His greatest act of deliverance. When Jesus came in the new Testament, he brought new wine skins and the kingdom became spiritual. So what is the spiritual picture of deliverance look like as God delivers us from Babylon, Assyria, EGYPT ?
If you don't get the cursed priesthood, don't read any further this will seem like blasphemy... but if you do, look at this:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=JKG59NUdn8A&feature=related
The obelisk is an interesting object. According to our research, it originates from Nimrod. It is phallic and represents un-circumcision. In the masonic orders, it also represents man's ascension to heaven by good works. You will find many obelisks on your neighborhood churches in the form of steeples.
Also, we watched a very good video by Ken Klein. He hypothesizes that the masons and other related organizations are the current manifestation of Satan's system or mystery Babylon. So check this out and see what the Spirit would show you:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9LEljS3ib84&feature=related
If this is true, then you can see how Satan could cause all to follow the system, the beast, because the system is huge.
It is cool when you see these two systems and realize that the living body of Christ, His real church, is called "out, out". We are called out of the world's system and out of the church system.
hmmmm.......
It's that time of the year again
Proverbs 18:17 - The first to present his case seems right,
till another comes forward and questions him.
It's that wonderful time of the year when pagans and atheists and liberals come crawling out of the woodwork to try and undermine Christianity. As we approach Christmas, many people use this as an opportunity to try and claim Christianity was borrowed from pagan religions and that many elements of the New Testament are copied from other beliefs such as Mithra and Isis, etc. I've received three such emails this week alone. Of course, any well informed Christian knows the history of Christmas and the pagan influences behind it, and that how we celebrate this holiday isn't in the New Testament. But it's also good to be armed against the claims that the stories of Christianity are somehow similar to those of earlier religions, which of course seems convincing at first, until we do an ounce of research.Anyhow, below is an article dealing with some of the more popular claims about Mithra and others. At the bottom of the article are links to more articles for those who wish to go more in depth.
http://www.alwaysbeready.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=124&Itemid=107
Merry Christmas!
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
An Insiders look at Discipleship Part 2
There I was at dinner with key Spiritual leaders for a leadership training weekend (denomination not mentioned) as one of the key note trainers for this yearly event. Lots of people had arrived and were ready to learn the secrets that would jump start their ministries. The leadership team sat around enjoying their dinner. "But wait a second," I thought "what’s happening here?" I watched amazed as the drinks kept coming, and the table got louder and louder and even more obnoxious.
No boundaries. No consecration. No spiritual or physical responsibility to godliness. No commitment to the very thing they claim to practice and teach. And what’s worse is they justify their sin over and over again with their apostate teaching on Grace. Just think of it…Christ died on the cross to free us from sin so they like dogs could return to the vomit from whence they came. Only to teach their disciples to do the same by their example.
Mat 16:12 Then they understood that He did not tell [them] to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and Sadducees. This committment to anything goes grace simply communicates the idea to people that there is nothing wrong with sin. Go ahead enjoy life keep on sinning your covered by God’s Grace. We Don’t seem to realize that this doctrine is in fellowship with darkness (Lucifer).
Mat 23 THEN Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to His disciples, saying: "The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat. "Therefore whatever they tell you to observe, that observe and do, but do not do according to their works; for they say, and do not do. "For they bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers. "But all their works they do to be seen by men. They make their phylacteries broad and enlarge the borders of their garments.
"They love the best places at feasts, the best seats in the synagogues, "greetings in the marketplaces, and to be called by men, Pastor, Pastor (I added That) "But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in. "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you devour widows' houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. Therefore you will receive greater condemnation. "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel land and sea to win one proselyte, and when he is won, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves."
Teach a class on discipleship, read about it, argue about it but please understand that the reason that the multitude left in the first place was Christ was actually going to require them to do it…to pick up their cross and follow him. To change their sinful life style, give up their positions and possession and follow him. Your rated R movies, your one too many social drinks, your night out with the kids practicing vandalism while toilet papering a home. Your real giving records, your foul mouth before church and afterward (not during). Your adulteress looks at the opposite sex. Your position and praise as a pastor.
People\Church: it’s time to repent so that you can experience the same reality that John the Baptist preached and the early disciples experienced. This is the beginning of your discipleship process. Not the self declared sinners prayer where men declare you holy and you put on the robes of righteousness over your sin, but a true deep and through look at yourselves and the things around you. Repentance. Ish 6. We do this in obedience to Christ so that Jesus can confirm your faith, not men.
Do you understand that God wants you to be able to function in two realms? Why are we so afraid of The Holy Spirit? Why do we grieve Him so? Don’t we understand that He desires to teach us in all things?
See biblical (not religious) discipleship requires commitment, consecration, confirmation and a lifestyle of holiness, sacrifice and godliness. This is not possible by using human or physical means. Your nature must be changed and trust me all your effort, study, fasting and prayer is not going to accomplish it. It is a work of the Holy Spirit ALONE. This is why so many people are still in Egypt (in bondage). They are practicing a form of godliness without any power- the very thing Jesus promised the disciples and the very thing many pastors, in bondage, declare to have passed away. If this was not enough, the complete process of discipleship- including men and women who actually model it- is so very hard to find. For over 20 years I have mentored pastors and struggled personally with this very issue. As a matter of fact, I just got off the phone with a pastor of a Calvary Chapel on the east coast that was just lamenting that he is struggling with why God won’t move like he reads in the Bible. But when you challenge the system with spiritual truth or point out the need for repentance, the walls go up and listening becomes very hard to do.
I have seen Presidents of Christian universities/colleges and seminaries, who are supposed to be the best of the best, fail miserably in discipleship- the very thing that every Christian should excel at because it’s the reason why we exist as a church (Mat 28). This is why I will not entertain religious men, those like Korah (numbers 16) who declare themselves holy because of their doctrines in which they claim so true. I find it an insult and frankly flirting with hell itself when they reject the very confirmation that every prophet, apostle and disciple has experienced from the foundation of Scripture itself: The Baptism of the Holy Spirit.
My heart breaks every time I see someone walk away from the very confirmation their hearts and minds need to be fulfilled in their faith. They hear the stories of healing; we experience them. They read about disciples being made; we make them. They hear about demons being cast out; we cast them out. They see that in Scripture there is joy unspeakable and they cannot find it. They memorize verses trying to overcome the bondage of sin; we overcome. They continue to talk about God moving; we move with God.
Discipleship is real and happening now…not in a class or discovered in a book. It’s experienced by faith and learned from a disciple maker. They may be in church, but most likely not. Many have ancient truth to show you…depth of Scripture that comes from the Holy Spirit Himself leaving the Pharisees and Sadducees scratching their heads and saying, "how do you know such things when you did not go to seminary?" These ways have been prophesied in the old testament, written about in the new, and experienced by many who have learned from the faithful remnant that still exist today.
"Come out of her my people!!!! "
No boundaries. No consecration. No spiritual or physical responsibility to godliness. No commitment to the very thing they claim to practice and teach. And what’s worse is they justify their sin over and over again with their apostate teaching on Grace. Just think of it…Christ died on the cross to free us from sin so they like dogs could return to the vomit from whence they came. Only to teach their disciples to do the same by their example.
Mat 16:12 Then they understood that He did not tell [them] to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and Sadducees. This committment to anything goes grace simply communicates the idea to people that there is nothing wrong with sin. Go ahead enjoy life keep on sinning your covered by God’s Grace. We Don’t seem to realize that this doctrine is in fellowship with darkness (Lucifer).
Mat 23 THEN Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to His disciples, saying: "The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat. "Therefore whatever they tell you to observe, that observe and do, but do not do according to their works; for they say, and do not do. "For they bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers. "But all their works they do to be seen by men. They make their phylacteries broad and enlarge the borders of their garments.
"They love the best places at feasts, the best seats in the synagogues, "greetings in the marketplaces, and to be called by men, Pastor, Pastor (I added That) "But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in. "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you devour widows' houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. Therefore you will receive greater condemnation. "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel land and sea to win one proselyte, and when he is won, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves."
Teach a class on discipleship, read about it, argue about it but please understand that the reason that the multitude left in the first place was Christ was actually going to require them to do it…to pick up their cross and follow him. To change their sinful life style, give up their positions and possession and follow him. Your rated R movies, your one too many social drinks, your night out with the kids practicing vandalism while toilet papering a home. Your real giving records, your foul mouth before church and afterward (not during). Your adulteress looks at the opposite sex. Your position and praise as a pastor.
People\Church: it’s time to repent so that you can experience the same reality that John the Baptist preached and the early disciples experienced. This is the beginning of your discipleship process. Not the self declared sinners prayer where men declare you holy and you put on the robes of righteousness over your sin, but a true deep and through look at yourselves and the things around you. Repentance. Ish 6. We do this in obedience to Christ so that Jesus can confirm your faith, not men.
Do you understand that God wants you to be able to function in two realms? Why are we so afraid of The Holy Spirit? Why do we grieve Him so? Don’t we understand that He desires to teach us in all things?
See biblical (not religious) discipleship requires commitment, consecration, confirmation and a lifestyle of holiness, sacrifice and godliness. This is not possible by using human or physical means. Your nature must be changed and trust me all your effort, study, fasting and prayer is not going to accomplish it. It is a work of the Holy Spirit ALONE. This is why so many people are still in Egypt (in bondage). They are practicing a form of godliness without any power- the very thing Jesus promised the disciples and the very thing many pastors, in bondage, declare to have passed away. If this was not enough, the complete process of discipleship- including men and women who actually model it- is so very hard to find. For over 20 years I have mentored pastors and struggled personally with this very issue. As a matter of fact, I just got off the phone with a pastor of a Calvary Chapel on the east coast that was just lamenting that he is struggling with why God won’t move like he reads in the Bible. But when you challenge the system with spiritual truth or point out the need for repentance, the walls go up and listening becomes very hard to do.
I have seen Presidents of Christian universities/colleges and seminaries, who are supposed to be the best of the best, fail miserably in discipleship- the very thing that every Christian should excel at because it’s the reason why we exist as a church (Mat 28). This is why I will not entertain religious men, those like Korah (numbers 16) who declare themselves holy because of their doctrines in which they claim so true. I find it an insult and frankly flirting with hell itself when they reject the very confirmation that every prophet, apostle and disciple has experienced from the foundation of Scripture itself: The Baptism of the Holy Spirit.
My heart breaks every time I see someone walk away from the very confirmation their hearts and minds need to be fulfilled in their faith. They hear the stories of healing; we experience them. They read about disciples being made; we make them. They hear about demons being cast out; we cast them out. They see that in Scripture there is joy unspeakable and they cannot find it. They memorize verses trying to overcome the bondage of sin; we overcome. They continue to talk about God moving; we move with God.
Discipleship is real and happening now…not in a class or discovered in a book. It’s experienced by faith and learned from a disciple maker. They may be in church, but most likely not. Many have ancient truth to show you…depth of Scripture that comes from the Holy Spirit Himself leaving the Pharisees and Sadducees scratching their heads and saying, "how do you know such things when you did not go to seminary?" These ways have been prophesied in the old testament, written about in the new, and experienced by many who have learned from the faithful remnant that still exist today.
"Come out of her my people!!!! "
An Insiders look at Discipleship Part 1
There I stood with my mouth wide open, “did she really say what I thought she said?” She sure did!
Wow in the middle of America in 1998 I thought to myself.
And here lies one problem with our church system: it’s designed to fulfill the needs of the people (including the leadership) whether morally right or wrong. That’s not such a bad thing right, some might think. Well it is when we continue ministering to them and ourselves in our sin! Giving them what they want so that we can continue to keep what we want…the system, our jobs, our position, our fame, and frankly our sin and bondage.
Now before you begin arguing, let me clarify a couple of things…I’ve been around the church system for some time. I’ve got plenty of degrees from all the right places, have ministered in 5 different denominations across the states and have been on the mission field in other countries. I have served on elder boards, mission boards, youth boards, Christian education boards, councils, and sessions from local churches to state districts even semi-national offices.
So your going to have to allow me the voice to share from an insiders perspective for a moment.
The reality is that many people in church just don’t see the truth about their churches and leadership. Jesus comments on this very subject when he addresses the religious leaders of his time.:(NLT)
When I was a youth minister years ago, I was constantly watching people exclude others that where not from the right side of the tracks. Nice youth groups, great programs and wonderful people on the surface, but the truth was that their hearts and actions where just wicked and seldom did any transformation occur or last. I would also like to point out these same children came and shared things with me about their parents that would make one cringe. I have mentored several young youth pastors and many of them have no concept of a godly life as they practice illegal activities to get the favor of their youth. This is not the justification Christ came to give.
“If you keep having those N (word) over here, I’m not going to allow
my kids to participate in this ministry any further."
Wow in the middle of America in 1998 I thought to myself.
And here lies one problem with our church system: it’s designed to fulfill the needs of the people (including the leadership) whether morally right or wrong. That’s not such a bad thing right, some might think. Well it is when we continue ministering to them and ourselves in our sin! Giving them what they want so that we can continue to keep what we want…the system, our jobs, our position, our fame, and frankly our sin and bondage.
Now before you begin arguing, let me clarify a couple of things…I’ve been around the church system for some time. I’ve got plenty of degrees from all the right places, have ministered in 5 different denominations across the states and have been on the mission field in other countries. I have served on elder boards, mission boards, youth boards, Christian education boards, councils, and sessions from local churches to state districts even semi-national offices.
So your going to have to allow me the voice to share from an insiders perspective for a moment.
The reality is that many people in church just don’t see the truth about their churches and leadership. Jesus comments on this very subject when he addresses the religious leaders of his time.:(NLT)
"Yes, how terrible it will be for you. For you are like hidden graves in a field. People walk over them without knowing the corruption they are stepping on."
When I was a youth minister years ago, I was constantly watching people exclude others that where not from the right side of the tracks. Nice youth groups, great programs and wonderful people on the surface, but the truth was that their hearts and actions where just wicked and seldom did any transformation occur or last. I would also like to point out these same children came and shared things with me about their parents that would make one cringe. I have mentored several young youth pastors and many of them have no concept of a godly life as they practice illegal activities to get the favor of their youth. This is not the justification Christ came to give.
As a pastor, I have been called out by elder boards because I have taught messages on holiness; I’ve had to defend myself for asking folks to bring their Bibles and, far to many times, have seen decisions made for material (money) reasons for the Glory of Church rather than for the Glory of God. I have seen affairs, cover-ups, pedophiles, homosexuality, and drunkenness in all levels and forms of leadership in many different denominations and churches all the way to the top. I have even seen a warlock, as a Senior Pastor.
If you think our government covers sin up,
you should spend a career in the American church.
Believe me, I could say more! I wish that I could say this was not the norm, but the reality is that this is the norm. The Church has really now become it’s own worst enemy in the goal of making disciples.
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